North London derby
Gilberto Silva (far left) and Ledley King (far right), captaining Arsenal and Tottenham respectively at White Hart Lane, on 21 April 2007. The match ended in a 2–2 draw. | |
| Location | North London |
|---|---|
| Teams | |
| First meeting | 15 January 1921 Football League First Division Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 Arsenal |
| Latest meeting | 22 February 2026 Premier League Tottenham Hotspur 1–4 Arsenal |
| Stadiums | Emirates Stadium (Arsenal) Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (Spurs) |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 199 |
| Most wins | Arsenal (86) |
| Most player appearances | David O'Leary (Arsenal) (35) |
| Top scorer | Harry Kane (Tottenham) (14 goals) |
| All-time series | Arsenal: 86 Drawn: 52 Spurs: 61 |
| Largest victory | Tottenham Hotspur 0–6 Arsenal Football League First Division (6 March 1935) |
Arsenal Tottenham Hotspur | |
The North London derby is the meeting of the association football clubs Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, both of which are based in North London, England. Fans of both clubs consider the other to be their main rivals, and the derby is one of the most watched derbies in the world. Although the two teams first played each other in 1887, the rivalry did not begin until 1913 when Arsenal moved their ground to North London from Woolwich, south of the River Thames.
As of 22 February 2026, 199 games have been played between the two teams since their first game in the Football League in 1909, with 86 wins for Arsenal, 62 wins for Tottenham and 52 games drawn. When games played before both joined the Football League are included, 213 games have been played, with Arsenal winning 91, Tottenham 68, and 55 drawn.
Notable matches of the North London derby include the games in which Arsenal won the league at White Hart Lane in 1971 and their invincible campaign in 2004, Tottenham beating Arsenal 5–0 at home in 1983 and Arsenal winning by the same score away in 1978, and Tottenham beating Arsenal 3–1 at the semi-final of the 1990–91 FA Cup, which they went on to win. The highest-scoring game in the North London derby is the 5–4 win by Arsenal at White Hart Lane in November 2004. The fixture's top scorer is Harry Kane with fourteen goals, having overtaken Bobby Smith and Emmanuel Adebayor, who have ten goals each.
Arsenal play their home games at the Emirates Stadium in Islington, while Tottenham Hotspur are based at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the neighbouring borough of Haringey. The two stadiums are 4 miles (6.4 km) apart.